Chapter 27: Sonic Rainboom (Last Edited: 9/6/2022)
August 18, 2020
Fluttershy's Cottage
It had been two days since the hydra attack. Sakura Blossom, Snips, and Snails had been sentenced to community service and spent the time doing whatever they were capable of to aid in rebuilding the Southern Residential District. The rebuilding process was going quicker than expected, but many of the town's residents would still be homeless for the next few weeks. As such, Mayor Mare had opened a shelter in the Town Hall.
Jack had been devoid of energy since the attack. His muscles were sore, and he was incredibly irritable to boot. He had felt similarly immediately after his training, although not nearly to this extent. Yesterday, Nurse Red Heart had informed him that these were the symptoms of overtraining. The constant physical and magical exertions since his training session were far more than his 7-year-old body was designed to handle. It wasn't anything serious at the moment, but Red Heart's orders were clear. He was not to do any kind of fighting or training for at least three days.
Most ponies had escaped the hydra attack uninjured, and those whose homes were unharmed had returned to their normal day-to-day activities. Rainbow Dash, for one, was looking forward to the Best Young Flyers Competition being held in Cloudsdale the next day. She had been training for months and hoped that the members of the Wonderbolts Command judging the competition would take notice of her skills.
Fluttershy had agreed to cheer her on since she was the only other pegasus in her friend group and Cloudsdale was practically inaccessible to those without wings.
"You want to come watch Rainbow Dash train?" she asked Jack, who was lying on the couch, giving Angel the stink eye.
The damn rabbit had attempted to dip his hand in a bowl of hot water as he was napping earlier.
"Alright," Jack groaned as he peeled himself off of the couch.
He'd been bored out of his mind since yesterday. Twilight had told him she had been working on his 3DS battery during her recovery, but he needed entertainment now.
Ponyville Park
Upon their arrival at the park, Rainbow Dash got straight to the point and instructed Fluttershy exactly how to cheer for her. She was meticulous down to exactly how loud Fluttershy should be.
"Wouldn't it be more authentic just to let her cheer in her own way?" Jack asked from under the tree he was using for shade.
"I didn't ask for your opinion, Jack!" Rainbow Dash called. "Everything needs to be perfect for the Wonderbolts to notice me!"
Jack simply shrugged and continued to observe.
"Now, what have we learned?" the blue pegasus asked Fluttershy as she flew in a circle around her.
"Loss of control," Fluttershy answered.
"Good," Rainbow Dash agreed.
"Screaming and hollering."
"Yes, and most importantly?"
"Passion!" Fluttershy quietly exclaimed.
"Right!" Rainbow Dash confirmed landing in front of the shy pegasus. "So now that you know the elements of a good cheer, let's hear one."
"This’ll be good,” Jack thought to himself.
Fluttershy inhaled deeply before letting out a barely audible, “yay.”
“Ugh,” Rainbow Dash brought a hoof up to her face. “You're gonna cheer for me like that? Louder.”
“Yay,” Fluttershy cheered, only slightly louder.
“Louder!” Rainbow Dash yelled.
“Yay,” Fluttershy said at normal volume.
“Louder!” Rainbow Dash screamed.
Fluttershy reared and took another deep breath. “Yaaay,” she cheered at the same volume.
“Ugh,” Rainbow Dash cringed before collapsing in frustration.
“Too loud?” Fluttershy asked.
“Come on, Dash, you can’t seriously think you’ll get her to cheer any louder than that,” Jack lectured.
“Yeah yeah, whatever, Jack,” Rainbo Dash scoffed. “She just needs the proper motivation!”
Rainbow Dash zoomed up to a large cloud and peered down at her entourage. “Get ready for the most awesome moves you’ve ever seen!”
“Yay,” Fluttershy said.
Jack watched as the Rainbow Dash stretched a bit and dove at high speed, pulling up mere feet from the ground. He watched in awe as she weaved between a line of trees and rushed past Fluttershy creating a strong gust. From there, she flew straight up and rapidly circled a trio of clouds, leaving them spinning like tops.
“Way to go,” Fluttershy softly complimented.
From there, Rainbow Dash flew straight up, doing a couple loop de loops before diving at full speed. A thick air membrane formed around her as she approached the sound barrier. However, before she could break it, the membrane pushed back like a trampoline sending her flying toward town.
“And there she goes,” Jack commented with a sigh.
“You should probably hurry up and get to school,” Fluttershy told him.
“Yeah, probably,” Jack replied, nodding in agreement.
Ponyville School
Snips, Snails, and Sakura were absent that day, not surprising considering the damage their little stunt had caused. Featherweight had made a big stir about having pictures of the fight, although he promptly shut up after being questioned about where he got them.
The Crusaders had gone back to their old shenanigans, although they had taken to less strenuous activities to accommodate Jack’s exhaustion. Thinking of their attempt at a makeover cutie mark made Jack shudder. He had no problem with drag queens, but that didn’t mean he had any interest in being dolled up like one.
Sweetie Belle had been acting off since the attack. She was unusually quiet and often lost in thought. Although, these changes went unnoticed by Jack, who had some trouble reading people on his best days.
“With this lesson, we will wrap up our section on the pre-Celestian era of our history,” Cheerilee announced as class began. “Up until the year 671 BYP when Princess Celestia and Luna were crowned by Star Swirl the bearded, it is tough to tell what’s history and what’s legend. Rockhoof, Mistmane, Flash Magnus, Somnambula, Mage Meadowbrook, and Equestrian founders were all historical figures, to be sure, but how much of their stories are true is currently unknown.”
The lesson was mostly a summary of what had been taught the past few weeks in preparation for the test. Jack was very grateful for this as he had missed a week’s worth of lessons during his training. When the lecture was over, Jack and the Crusaders met outside the building to discuss what to try today.
“We can’t do anything involving exercise,” Jack said. “My muscles are still pretty sore.”
“Maybe next time you’ll think twice before you try fightin’ a hydra!” Apple Bloom huffed. “Magic or not yer still jus’ a colt.”
Scootaloo nodded affirmatively at Apple Bloom’s words.
For reasons beyond Jack’s understanding, the Crusaders had been particularly critical of his participation in the hydra fight. They weren’t the only ones, of course. Shining Armor had been immensely displeased with his insubordination, and pretty much everyone who wasn’t aware of his military status thought he had no business being there. However, there was something different about the Crusader’s disapproval.
“I know, I know,” Jack sighed. “It was very stupid of me, and I should leave the fighting to the adults. You’ve told me a million times now. Can we please just go back to figuring out what to do today?”
“Well, we tried makeovers yesterday,” Apple Bloom started.
“We could always try bungee jumping,” Scootaloo suggested.
“Definitely not!” Jack denied, his muscles burning at the mere thought. “What do you think, Sweets?”
“Huh?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“I asked what you think we should do,” Jack answered.
“You’ve been actin’ strange lately, Sweetie Belle,” said Apple Bloom. “Is somethin’ wrong?”
"She's always acting strange," Diamond Tiara sneered as she walked past. "How else would she fit in with you freaks?"
"Shove it, Diamond!" Jack shouted.
"Seriously you have been acting weird lately," Scootaloo said. "Are you alright?"
“E-everything’s fine,” Sweetie Belle stuttered. “I can’t just say that I think Sakura brought the hydra to town on purpose. Nopony would believe me.”
“If you say so,” Apple Bloom said uncertainly.
“We could try helping Twilight out in the library,” Sweetie Belle said, trying to change the subject.
“Great idea!” Apple Bloom exclaimed. “We could get Librarian cutie marks!”
“Cutie Mark Crusaders Librarians, yay!” she and Scootaloo exclaimed.
Golden Oak Library
When they arrived at the library, Jack gave three firm knocks on the door. When it opened, he and the Crusaders were in for a shock. “Rarity/Rare?!”
Rarity proudly displayed a pair of butterfly-like wings protruding from her sides. The wings had all the colors of the rainbow and glistened like morning dew.
“Sweetie Belle, Jack, darlings!” Rarity called. “Don’t these new wings look exquisite!”
“But how?” Jack asked.
“Twilight made them for me,” Rarity answered. “Now I can go to Cloudsdale and give Rainbow Dash the moral support she needs during the competition tomorrow.”
“Are Twilight and the others going?” Jack asked.
“Of course,” Rarity answered. “Rainbow Dash needs all the support she can get.”
“Cool!” Scootaloo said in excitement. “You think we can go?”
“You’ll have to ask Twilight,” Rarity answered. “She’s the one with the spell. Now I need to go home and prepare.”
As Rarity left, Jack and the Crusaders entered the library where Spike was indexing books.
“Oh, hey, guys!” Spike cheerfully greeted. “Can I help you with something?”
“The girls wanted to try their hands at getting librarian cutie marks,” Jack answered.
“But, they don’t have hands,” Spike pointed out, scratching his head confusedly as the Crusaders spread out around the library.
“It’s a figure of speech,” Jack sighed.
“Oh,” Spike said. “You’ll have to ask Twilight about volunteering. I’m not really sure what there is for you guys to do. With me around, Twilight doesn't really need any more help!” he said smugly as Jack walked into the study.
“Oh, hey, Jack,” Twilight said as she walked into the room.
“Hey, Twi,” Jack responded. “The Crusaders wanted to know if they could help out around here to see if they can get librarian cutie marks.”
“I don’t have all that much I need help with,” Twilight said. “Ever since Shining Armor got here, he’s been insisting on doing most of the work.”
“Where is Shining Armor anyway?” asked Jack.
“He had to go to Canterlot to give his report on the hydra attack,” Twilight answered. “He should be back on Thursday.”
“He isn’t mad still, is he?” Jack asked.
“He was when he left, but I’m sure he’ll be over it when he gets back.”
“Hey Twilight,” Scootaloo said upon noticing the lavender mare. “Is it true you’ll be going to the Best Young Flyers Competition?”
“Yes, I actually learned a spell that…”
“Can we go?” Scootaloo asked eagerly.
“Well…” Twilight started. “I guess, but only if your aunts agree.”
“Awesome!” Scootaloo cheered.
“This time, I want to speak with your aunts directly,” Twilight said sternly.
“Yes, ma’am,” Scootaloo agreed, lowering her head in shame.
Twilight’s face brightened up. “In the meantime, I do have something you can help me with.” Turning to Jack, she asked. “You’ve heard of Dewey Decimal Classification, correct?”
“The Dewy Decimal System?” Jack asked. “I’ve heard of it, but I’m not that clear on the particulars.”
“That’s fine,” Twilight said, teleporting a scroll above Jack, who caught it in his hands. “I’ve written instructions for what I want done on this scroll.”
Jack and the Crusaders spent the rest of the day reorganizing the library based on Twilight’s instructions. When they finished, the Crusaders eagerly checked their flanks for marks, but unfortunately, librarian was not any of their special talents.
Before they went their separate ways Jack called out to Scootaloo. "Hey, Scoots?!"
"Yeah?" Scootaloo asked in confusion.
"If your aunts agree to let you go, I promise I'll introduce you to Dash while we're there," Jack said.
"Y-you mean it?" Scootaloo asked, barely holding back her excitement.
"Well I did promise, I'd do it eventually," Jack said, giving a thumbs up. "Wouldn't be much of a friend if I didn't make good on it."
"Thanks, Jack!" Scootaloo exclaimed, before running home.
Fluttershy’s Cottage
Twilight had asked Jack not to tell Fluttershy about the spell. She wanted it to be a surprise for Rainbow Dash and didn’t exactly trust the shy pegasus's ability to keep it a secret.
“So, what did you and the Crusaders do today?” Fluttershy asked as they sat down for dinner.
“We helped Twilight in the library,” Jack answered, cutting his carrots into circles. “The girls wanted to try and get librarian cutie marks.”
“How’d that go?”
“About as well as you’d expect,” Jack sighed. “Honestly, I don’t see why they feel the need to try everything. I can’t imagine Scootaloo being happy as a librarian, I doubt Apple Bloom would be interested in giving makeovers for the rest of her life, and I don’t think Sweetie Bell would be happy as a spy. But that certainly doesn’t stop any of them from trying.”
“They’ll figure it all out eventually,” Fluttershy giggled. “I’m sure you didn’t find your special talent on your first try.”
“Fair enough,” Jack agreed, thinking back to his freshman year of college. He'd started as a biology major and was shocked by just how much math that entailed. Needless to say, he switched to history in his second semester.
When they finished eating, both Fluttershy and Jack went to bed early to prepare for the next day.
August 19, 2020 AD:
Fluttershy’s Cottage
Jack woke up to the sound of the alarm he'd set. To avoid waking Fluttershy, he’d set it up with the quieter guitar alarm rather than the blaring warship-like default he normally used. Twilight had informed him that they’d need to leave a few hours before Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash if they wanted it to be a surprise.
Once dressed and groomed, he quietly tip-toed down the stairs and made his way to the kitchen. Careful to avoid waking Angel, he slowly opened the fridge and fished out a banana.
Golden Oak Library
Twilight’s balloon had been recovered from the Lowcountry a few days before she was released from Canterlot Royal Hospital. There were a few tears from exposure to the elements, and Spike was working hard to patch it up before it was time for liftoff.
“Good morning Spike!” Pinkie Pie cheerfully greeted as she skipped up to the balloon.
“Good Morning, Pinkie,” Spike greeted as he finished his last patch. “Twilight will be out in a minute. You here to help cheer on Rainbow Dash?”
“Absotivley posolutely!” Pinkie exclaimed. “You comin’ with us, Spike?”
“No,” Spike sighed. “Someone has to look after the library while Twilight’s gone. You bringing Sakura with you?”
“No, she still has some cleanup work to do before she can do anything fun,” Pinkie sighed.
“Hey, guys!” called Jack as he walked over.
“Hey, Jackey!” Pinkie greeted. “Feeling any better?”
“Yeah,” Jack nodded. “I woke up, and all the pain was gone,” He said, stretching a bit and popping his neck.
Rarity showed up soon after with Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo arrived with her aunts shortly afterward. Scootaloo’s aunts had a short conversation with Twilight before leaving their niece in her care.
“What in Equestria is taking Applejack so long?” wondered Rarity.
“She probably had a bunch of chores to finish,” Twilight offered.
“I’ll bet she has a bunch of work to do in the orchard now,” Pinkie. “I heard the hydra did a lot of damage to the Apple’s trees.”
Applejack arrived with Apple Bloom a couple of minutes later.
“Howdy, y’all,” Applejack said, her tone devoid of enthusiasm.
“What’s wrong?” Jack asked.
“The hydra did a number on our trees,” Applejack answered. “Ah really need tuh stay an’ help Big Mac with the cleanup. Ah’m jus’ here tuh drop off Apple Bloom.”
“Called it,” Pinkie said to no one in particular.
“Sorry to hear that, AJ,” Jack said.
“It’s fine,” Applejack smiled. “Jus’ be sure to cheer extra hard fer Rainbow.”
With that, Applejack went home. Spike used his dragon’s breath to blow up the balloon, and once everyone was on board, they departed.
Cloudsdale
Twilight’s balloon reached Cloudsdale 2 hours later.
“We’ve still got about an hour before Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy get here, so what do you all want to do?” Twilight asked.
“We could always partake in some fine dining,” Rarity offered. “I’m certain Cloudsdale must have some wonderful cuisine.”
While everyone else got out of the balloon without trouble, Jack looked out at the cloudy ground and froze.
“What’s wrong?” Scootaloo asked.
“Nothing,” Jack answered, sweating nervously.
“Well then, come on,” Twilight said.
Jack looked down at the clouds again, then shook his head. “Nuh-uh.”
“Are you scared?” Pinkie asked with a giggle.
“No!” Jack exclaimed, crossing his arms indignantly.
“Then why ain’t ya gettin out of the balloon?” Apple Bloom asked.
1 Hour Later
When Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy arrived in Cloudsdale, they were confronted by several bullies from their youth. The trio of stallions wasted no time reminding Rainbow that she had been kicked out of flight school and calling her by her old nickname, Rainbow Crash. To make matters worse, Fluttershy chose then to get a little assertive. The normally shy mare told the bullies about Rainbow's plans to pull off a sonic rainboom at the competition. The bullies scoffed at the concept but said they'd be there.
“Did you see that?” Fluttershy asked once the bullies had left. “I was so assertive!”
Rainbow Dash sighed. “Those guys are right. I'll never be able to do it.”
“But Rainbow Dash, just because you've failed the sonic rainboom a hundred thousand times in practice doesn't mean you won't be able to do it in front of an entire stadium, full of impatient, super-critical sports fan ponies,” Fluttershy said, trying to comfort Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash was not comforted in the least and started to freak out about how badly her performance could go.
Fluttershy wanted to help, but something else caught her attention.“Rare...” she gasped, unable to believe what she was seeing.
“Rare?!” Rainbow Dash questioned. “The sonic rainboom is way more than rare!”
“Rarity?” Fluttershy asked, pointing to where the unicorn was hovering with her new wings.
“Rarity!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Are you... flying?!”
“I most certainly am!” Rarity bragged. “Aren't my wings smashing?! Twilight made them for me. I just adore them!” she explained as her friends stared with their mouths agape. “Why so shocked? We couldn't leave our favorite flyer without a big cheering section!”
“We?” Rainbow Dash questioned.
Twilight’s balloon burst through the clouds like a submarine surfacing at the North Pole.
“I... I can't believe it!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
“It's incredible!” Fluttershy agreed.
“This is so cool! You guys made it!” Rainbow Dash said excitedly as the balloon touched down.
“Sure did!” Pinkie said as she hopped out of the basket.
“Wait!” Rainbow Dash shouted.
Pinkie Pie landed safely on the cloud. She was soon followed by the other ponies, with Jack timidly trailing behind.
“How'd you do that?” Rainbow Dash asked with a relieved smile. “Only Pegasus ponies can walk on clouds.”
“Haha. Pretty cool, huh?” Pinkie said, doing cartwheels across the clouds.
“I found a spell that makes temporary wings, but it was too difficult to do more than once,” Twilight explained. “So I found an easier spell that lets the rest of us walk on clouds.”
Seeing now as a good a time as any to make good on his promise to Scootaloo, Jack got Rainbow Dash’s attention. “Hey, Dash!”
“Hey, Jack,” Rainbow Dash greeted cheerfully. “You come to cheer me on too?”
“Yeah,” Jack answered. “And I brought somepony with me I want you to meet.” Pointing to his orange friend, he said. “This is Scootaloo. I think she has something to say to you.”
Scootaloo was initially at a loss for words, but when she found them, she exclaimed, “I’m your biggest fan! When I found out you were participating in the contest, I just had to watch. I want to be just like you when I grow up!”
“Thanks, Squirt,” Rainbow Dash grinned. “To be honest, I was starting to get just the teeniest, tiniest bit nervous. But I feel a lot better now that you guys are here,” she admitted. “Hey, we've got some time before the competition. Why don't Fluttershy and I show you around Cloudsdale?”
“Yes!” everyone agreed.
As they walked through the streets of Cloudsdale, Jack marveled at the city’s buildings. There was a clear parallel with Greco-Roman-styled architecture back on Earth. Had the town been built from stone and timber rather than rainbows and clouds, he might have thought he was in Ancient Rome or Athens.
“I can’t believe we missed you on our way up here,” Fluttershy said.
“We got here about an hour ago,” Twilight explained. “We wanted it to be a surprise.”
“Oh really?” asked Fluttershy. “What have you been doing while you were waiting for us?”
15 Minutes Prior
Jack clung to the balloon's basket for dear life as his friends furiously tried to pull him out. Digging his fingers as far into the basket wall as he could he had no intention of letting go.
“C’mon, Jack!” Apple Bloom grunted as she tugged at his leg.
“Don’t be such a scaredy-pony,” Scootaloo nagged as she tugged on his other leg.
“Screw that!” Jack screamed in abject terror.
“Oh, for the love of…” Twilight groaned as a lavender aura enveloped her horn.
With a flash, Jack was teleported 20 feet away from the balloon. Removed from the balloon's safety, Jack screamed bloody murder as he hit the clouds with a thud. Unaware that he was safe, he continued screaming and flailing as if he was falling.
“Seriously?” Apple Bloom said blankly.
Sweetie Belle softly tapped Jack on the back a few times. “It’s fine. You’re not falling.”
Stopping his flailing, Jack slowly got to his feet and crossed his arms. “I knew that.”
Present Time
Rainbow Dash burst into laughter. “That’s hilarious! I wish I could have seen his face!”
“I’m right here, you know,” Jack muttered.
“That’s what make’s it funny!” Rainbow Dash chuckled.
Rarity made a point of flying through the town with her new wings. Her showy movements invoked many stares from impressed pegasi, just as she intended.
“Be careful with those wings, Rarity,” Twilight warned as the white unicorn did a loop-de-loop. “They're made from gossamer and morning dew, and they're incredibly delicate.”
“Don't worry, Twilight,” Rarity dismissed. “I'm sure they can't get worn out from too much attention.”
“Can we please get something to eat?” Pinkie wined. “We spent all that time getting Jack out of the Balloon and never got anything for lunch!”
“I’ll take you to my favorite restaurant!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
The Cloud Bar
“This was my favorite place to eat as a filly!” Rainbow Dash said excitedly.
“You went to a bar as a child?” Jack asked with a raised brow.
“It’s just a name,” Rainbow Dash corrected.
The restaurant looked quite plain to Jack. Although, this was likely due to its construction from clouds. Apart from a few rainbow fountains, there was little that could be done décor-wise.
“Are you all together?” asked a waiter.
“That’s right,” answered Twilight.
“Will there be a single bill, or are you each paying separately?” the waiter questioned.
“I think we’ll just pay separately,” Twilight said.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Twilight,” Rarity said. “I’ll be more than happy to pay the bill for all of us.” As Rarity spread her butterfly wings, they glistened in the rays of light coming through the windows, creating a rainbow effect much like that of a prism.
“Sweet Celestia!” the waiter gasped. “Those wings are gorgeous! You must be competing today. Please take advantage of our Best Young Flyers Discount. Everything on the menu is half off.”
“But Rarity’s not…” Rainbow Dash started.
“Of course, I’ll be competing,” Rarity said. “It would be a crime to keep such beauty hidden from the world,” she added dramatically.
As they sat down for their meal, Rainbow Dash was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. How was she meant to impress the Wonderbolts with Rarity flaunting her new wings?
Cloudiseum
Once they had finished their meal, Rainbow Dash took her friends on a tour of Cloudsdale. To her dismay, everyone they met complimented Rarity on her wings. By the time they reached the Cloudiseum, she was desperate for a way out as she and Rarity went off with the other competitors, and Jack and the others, to their seats in the bleachers.
The roar of the crowd was deafening, and, were it not for Jack’s medication, meltdown-inducing. While he could ignore the noise, something else was breaking his brain. “How the FUCK!” he thought, looking at the foam pointing hand Pinkie was holding.
Jack had learned to accept how Equestria operated. Talking ponies, magic, weather control, and godlike princesses responsible for raising the Celestial Bodies were different than what he was used to on Earth, but at least they were logically consistent. Pinkie Pie, on the other hand, had no rhyme or reason to how she operated. Pinkie Sense alone made no sense as earth ponies weren’t supposed to have any magic beyond their strength. Yet somehow, she had precognition and interdimensional warping abilities that not even unicorns could do. At times it almost seemed as if she could read minds.
“Where did you get that?” Jack asked, pointing to the foam hand.
Pinkie shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“God damnit, Pinks,” Jack thought.
Before Jack could open his mouth to respond, the announcer landed on a small cloud in the stadium's center. “Fillies and gentlecolts! Please rise and join me in welcoming our beloved Princess Celestia!”
Celestia slowly descended to the royal stands with her guards, waving as the crowd roared their approval.
“Please welcome our celebrity judges for the Best Young Flyer Competition: the Wonderbolts!” the announcer exclaimed as six Wonderbolts flew in formation overhead.
The Wonderbolts did a few loop de loops as fireworks were set off nearby. When they finished their demonstration, half of the squadron broke off and landed in the judge's stand while the other half left the Cloudiseum.
“And now, let's find out who will take the prize as this year's best young flyer!” the announcer said. “Our first competitor is a local mare. Put your hooves together for Orange Swirl!”
A pale amber mare with a cutie mark of three tornados flew into the Cloudiseum.
“Ah wonder what, she’ll do,” Apple Bloom said.
Orange swirl bolted to the center of the Cloudiseum and began to circle around at the speed of a prop plane.
“Ooh! Look at that speed!” said Pinkie Pie.
“That’s nothing!” Scootaloo scoffed. “Just wait 'til Rainbow Dash gets out there!”
As Orange Swirl continued spinning, a small twister formed in her wake.
“Still think that’s nothin’?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Rainbow Dash could’ve made a tornado ten times that size,” Scootaloo scoffed. “That was so cool! I can’t let the others know what I think that, though.”
“What a thrilling start to this year’s competition!” the announcer exclaimed as Orange Swirl exited the stadium. “Our next competitor is a young mare hailing from Ponyville. Give it up for Rainbow Dash!”
To everyone’s surprise, instead of Rainbow Dash, a tan Stallion who almost resembled Time Turner entered the arena.
“Where’s Rainbow Dash?” asked Scootaloo.
“I don’t know,” Twilight said. “I hope everything’s alright.”
The announcer cleared his throat. “My mistake! Our second contestant is a native of Trottingham. Please welcome Swift Whooves!”
“That’s a strange mistake,” Pinkie noted.
“Yeah,” Jack agreed, grabbing his chin firmly.
The third competitor was a blue mare appropriately named Cloud Kicker. Her turn came and went, and the announcer called out the next pony. “Next, straight from Ponyville, put it together for the lovely Rarity!”
Instead of Rarity, a brown stallion with a guitar cutie mark swooped into the stadium.
“Again?” Twilight asked incredulously.
“I hope Rarity and Rainbow aren’t in any trouble,” Fluttershy said.
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, Rarity is temporarily unavailable and will be replaced by our number 7 competitor Meadow Song of Baltimare!” the announcer said at last.
“Unforeseen circumstances?” Jack questioned.
As time went on, more and more contestants showed off their skills, but Rainbow Dash and Rarity were nowhere to be found.
“I loved number seven,” Twilight said. “Doing fifteen barrel rolls in a row can't be easy.”
“My favorite is number ten,” said Fluttershy. “She just looked like such a nice pony.”
“Where’s Rainbow Dash?!” Scootaloo asked grumpily. “The competition’s almost over!”
“Rarity too, for that matter,” Jack agreed.
“And now, for our final competitor of the day, contestant number fifteen!” the announcer exclaimed as Rainbow Dash and Rarity entered the arena. “Uhh... And apparently contestant number four...”
Rarity appeared to say something to Rainbow Dash (who looked to be a nervous wreck) before starting her elegant ballet routine through the sky.
Finally getting her act together, Rainbow Dash began to swerve between several cloud obstacles as her friends cheered.
“GO, RAINBOW DASH!” shouted Scootaloo. “You’re the best!”
Unfortunately, luck was not on Dash’s side today, and she wound up crashing into the side of the stadium, much to the amusement of a group of stallions in the stands above her.
“That had to hurt,” Jack commented.
As Rarity continued to dance around the stadium, Rainbow Dash recovered from her crash. In a mad dash, she bolted past a line of clouds, leaving them spinning in her wake.
“Look! Phase two is working,” Fluttershy said as the other ponies cheered.
Unfortunately, Dash lost control, and one of the clouds was sent flying toward the stands, narrowly missing Princess Celestia.
“Ooh, that can’t be good for her score,” Jack cringed.
With their allotted time almost up, Rarity and Rainbow Dash soared high above the Cloudiseum. Rarity flew directly into the Sun’s rays and flashed her wings, shining a vibrant array of colors across the stadium.
Much like Icarus, flying too close to the Sun proved to be a mistake for poor Rarity, whose delicate wings incinerated in the sunlight. With nothing left holding her in the sky, she plummeted towards the ground below.
“Oh no!” exclaimed Twilight. “Her wings evaporated into thin air!”
“Rarity!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed, snapping out of her train of thought.
Jack almost jumped out of his seat. “Oww!” he shouted as he pulled a muscle in his back.
“Not a good idea, man,” Emerald Jack said. “What’s your plan, jump out of the stands and trigger chaos mode? Your body still hasn’t recovered from the last two times you used it. You’d probably just fall to your death, and even if you did trigger it, the damage to your body would be irreparable.”
“Then what should I do?” Jack asked.
“Let them handle it,” Emerald Jack answered as the three Wonderbolt judges dove into action.
The rescue was made impossible for the Wonderbolts as they were knocked unconscious on approach by Rarity’s flailing hooves.
As far as Jack was concerned, the time for thinking was over. Despite muscle pain and loud protests from his emerald counterpart, he found himself climbing over the cloud safety rail and jumping into the stadium.
The wind blew Jack’s hair against his back as he plummeted headfirst toward Rarity. His skin stung as the cold air penetrated through every article of clothing on his body. Every second that passed, he expected to enter Chaos Mode, but it never happened.
“I WARNED YOU!” Emerald Jack screamed.
Above the Cloudiseum
Rainbow Dash knew she’d lost. The Wonderbolts would never want her to join now. Still, even if she was a loser, that didn’t make her a quitter. As she gained altitude, she became all the more determined to attempt the sonic rainboom. That is until she looked down.
Seeing Jack, Rarity, and the Wonderbolts plummeting to the ground snapped her out of her funk. “Hold on, guys! I'm coming!”
Turning around, Rainbow Dash shot like a missile toward her friends. As she drew closer, a membrane of air formed around her body as her lips flapped in the breeze. The membrane grew thicker and thicker as her speed increased until it burst in an explosion of color. Having broken the sound barrier, Rainbow Dash scooped the Wonderbolts and her friends up with only seconds to spare. Leaving a rainbow in her wake, she lifted them back up to the stadium.
Upon reaching the platform, a group of pegasi grabbed Rarity as Jack and the Wonderbolts were placed on the cloudy platform. The crowd in the stands roared their approval as Fluttershy and the Crusaders rushed to check on Jack.
“Thank you so much!” Fluttershy exclaimed to Rainbow Dash as she wrapped her arms around Jack. “What in Equestria were you thinking!” she scolded him.
“I wasn’t,” Jack coughed.
“That was amazing, Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “That Sonic Rainboom was the most awesome thing I’ve ever seen!”
Tears welled in Rainbow Dash’s eyes as a wave of relief washed over her. “I did it.”
“You sure did,” Rarity said with a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank you, Rainbow Dash. You saved my life!”
Once Rarity was safely in the balloon, she apologized for showing off. The Wonderbolts thanked Rainbow Dash for saving them, and Celestia presented her with the grand prize. The Princess then asked Twilight what she had learned about friendship from the experience, and Rainbow went to hang out with the Wonderbolts. When she was done with Twilight, Celestia pulled Jack aside for a private discussion.
“That was incredibly reckless,” Celestia said as they entered a secluded hall.
“I know,” Jack sighed, grimacing from his sore muscles.
“You could have been killed!” she sternly snapped.
“I know,” Jack said, slumping his shoulders.
“It’s abundantly clear you need more training immediately,” Celestia said as her horn lit and Jack’s body began to glow. “This spell will help you recover your magic quicker. Take a day to rest. I want you to report to Canterlot the day after tomorrow.”
Cloudsdale Outskirts
Sweetie Belle’s lack of focus had not gone unnoticed by the other Crusaders.
“What’s the matter, Sweetie Belle?” Apple Bloom asked.
“You’ve been quiet all day,” Scootaloo added.
Having kept it to herself for three days, Sweetie Belle couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Well…”
Meanwhile in the Everfree Forest
Oni-Hime had barely slipped out of town unnoticed after her community service hours. She retrieved the photographs from Featherweight as soon as they were developed. Featherweight, much like the rest of the colts under her thrall, was incredibly naïve. He truly believed she was going to sell the photos for a fortune. She’d give him a couple hundred bits, and he’d be none the wiser.
She was deep into the forest now, deeper than anypony else from town would have dared to venture, but she wasn’t alone by any means. Standing in the clearing in front of her were Damned and Malade. “What are you doing here, Damned-san?” asked Oni-Hime. She had only been expecting Malade.
Damned smirked. “Blutknochen’s orders, slut! I finally get to have fun!”
“Jodan ja naiyo!!” Oni-Hime protested. “I haven’t finished my mission yet! You can’t just burn everything down!”
“Relax,” Damned said. “Blutknochen says I’m not allowed to set foot in Ponyville or Canterlot. Anywhere else, on the other hoof…” his face contorted into a demented grin as his mane and tail ignited. “I have free reign to do whatever I want.”
“As-tu les photos?” asked Malade.
“Hai!” Oni-Hime responded, pulling the pictures from her bag.
“Merveilleuse,” Malade said with a grin.
Stats
Page generated in 0.017 seconds
Total duration
1,082 users online
1,726,470 hits today, 1,960,719 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Nice update. Keep up the good work.